The Pressure of Our Love
by Ashton Li
Summary: Eiji loves Fuji and Fuji loves Eiji. Though, when the teasing starts, Eiji is feeling the pressure of their love pushing him closer to breaking down. Fuji, not wanting to see his love hurting, thinks it's best for them to no longer be together. FIN.
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE:**** Welcome, welcome. Thank you for stopping by. I decided that I wanted to start a longer fic for one of my favorite pairings, Fuji and Eiji (Dream Pair). I thought up an idea, and here I am with it started.**

**Oi~! Before I forget, I don't own these characters or the Prince of Tennis.**

**Please, enjoy~!**

**The Pressure of Our Love**

A young boy of about 17 reached his hand up to a white door. Quickly, he pulled away. He couldn't get himself to knock. He was too nervous.

_I have to,_ he thought.

Again, he reached up, but, this time, he was able to hit his hand against the door.

"Hello?" the door began to open. Peering out was a boy of the same age. He looked at the person standing in front of him with his glossy, blue eyes. "…Eiji…"

"I couldn't do it…I couldn't just forget about you!" Eiji's voice cracked as tears streamed down his cheeks. "I love you too much, Fuji."

"Eiji," Fuji reached his right arm out and wiped the boy's tears away. "Give it time. I'm sure you'll be able to forget about me."

"Don't you understand, Fuji? I love you. I can't just forget about the time we shared together. You promised! You promised to always be there for me."

"I know…"

"Liar!" Eiji shrieked. He began to lightly hit his fists against Fuji's chest as more tears form. "Liar…I hate you…liar!"

"Stop," Fuji pulled him closer and brushed his lips against his. "I don't want to see you crying anymore."

"But―"

"This is the last time, Eiji. I think it's best that we are no longer together. The pressure from other students…the teasing…it was getting to you. It was hurting you. If I see you hurting from our love, then I will not give it another chance. Understand?"

Eiji wrapped his arms around the small frame of Fuji's. "Just…continue to love me and I'll be fine…"

* * *

_One month earlier…_

"Finally! All exams are over. I can relax~!" Eiji stretched out on a hill close to the high school he attended. His white shirt had a few of the buttons unfastened and the breeze was pulling through his hair.

"Eiji," Fuji smiled as he stood over the boy. His light brown hair fell in front of his face. "Should you really be so calm? You still don't know what your scores are."

"I know, I know. It's just nice to know that I don't have anymore exams to take for awhile."

"Mhm…"

"Fuji," Eiji stared up into the blue eyes with his own beautiful, sapphire colored eyes. "Why are you still hanging your head over me like that?"

"What would you do if I kissed you?" Fuji avoided the question being asked.

"Huh? What's that suppo―"

He was cut off by the pressure of Fuji's soft lips up against his. His cheeks began to heat up as he couldn't help but kiss Fuji back.

A smirk formed on Fuji's face as he pulled himself away. "Eiji, lets go out on a date."

"F-Fuji! You just…and…I don't…what?" he was flustered and unable to form correct sentences.

"Lets go out on a date," Fuji repeated himself. "You know? It's when two people go out together…alone."

"I know what a date it!" Eiji snapped. "Why would you want to go out on one with me?"

"I like you, Eiji."

Eiji's cheeks began to turn an even darker shade of red. "Of course you like me. We are best friends after all."

"No, Eiji, I like you as more than a friend."

"You're joking."

"I wouldn't joke about such a thing."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying."

"I like you, too…"

"I know," Fuji looked up to the sky. "I'll come to your house this Saturday to pick you up."

"Ok."

"We'll go get something to eat and take a walk in the park or something."

"Fuji?"

"Yes?" Fuji turned back to the other boy.

Eiji reached up and pecked Fuji on the cheek. "Lets be more than friends."

Fuji softly laughed. "I think that's what's already been decided…"

"I know," Eiji stood up.

"We should get going. I know how your family is when you're late," Fuji took the boy's left hand in his right and pulled him off.

**NOTE:**** Have I confused anyone? This will start to get explained in chapters to come. I will update every one to three days (I have a FujiXRyoma fic that I also need to keep up with.). I hope you've enjoyed it so far.**

**Oh~! The rating is what it is due to things that are to come. **

**Thank you for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Saturday. The day of their first date…_

Eiji stared at himself in the mirror. He pulled his comb through his hair and look at himself. He wore a red, long-sleeved shirt with an orange, short-sleeved over it along with black jeans.

"I don't like what I wearing," he tugged at his shirt and looked towards his bed. There were about 15 different shirts and pants from different outfits he had already tried on. "Why should I care about how I look anyways? It's just Fuji."

The boy turned back to his mirror and played with the front of his hair. Despite what he said, he really did care about how he looked. His nerves were getting to him as knocking came from the door.

"He's here already?" Eiji almost screamed. He ran down the stairs in a panic. Swinging open the door, Fuji stood in front of him.

"Eiji, are you ok?" Fuji questioned. "You seem out of breath."

"Hi, Fuji. Let me get my shoes on and we can go," he didn't even hear the questioned asked. He left Fuji at the door while he went to fetch his shoes.

"Hmm?" the boy opened his eyes to show their blue color. "The date hasn't even started and you're already nervous. Cute."

"Ok…lets go~!" Eiji yelled as he ran up the taller boy. He quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him off.

"Eiji," Fuji giggled. "Do you even know where you're going?"

He stopped and looked up at Fuji. "I'm sorry. I'm kind of nervous."

"There's no need for you to be nervous around me."

"I know. It's just…this is my first date and everything."

Fuji placed his hand under Eiji's chin and pulled him closer. He peered down at him. "Don't worry; I'll take good care of you."

"Fu…ji…" his cheeks turned a light shade of red as he reached up and kissed Fuji. "I want to stay like this forever. I want to be with you…forever…"

"If that's what you want, Eiji, I will be yours forever. I'll be here for you forever…it's my promise to you," Fuji wrapped his arms around the other boy.

_So warm…_ Eiji thought as he dug his face into Fuji's chest.

Even though it was there first date, it was obvious that there was a connection between them. They could have just met that day, but they would have known that they were meant to be together. With every sweet kiss and warm embrace, their relationship grew stronger. The love between them was unbreakable. At least that's what they thought.

**NOTE:**** Thanks for the reviews on the first chapter. I hope everyone has enjoyed the second chapter as much as they did the first. **

**It's weird, I described Eiji's outfit just like the outfit I drew him in for my little avatar thing. I didn't even mean to.**

**Thank you for reading~!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Monday. The next school day…_

Fuji walked into the school with his normal, charming smile. He waved to all whom greeted him. Slowly, he made his way through the hall and to Eiji's locker.

"Morning~!" Eiji chirped as he saw the boy walk up.

"Good morning, Eiji," Fuji greeted him back. "How was your weekend?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Of course," he nodded and played with his light brown hair. "I was thinking it would be easier on you if we hid our relationship from everyone."

"Why would you say that?" Eiji looked up at Fuji with his sapphire eyes. "Are you embarrassed by me?"

"It's nothing like that. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Hurt?"

"If students know we're in a relationship, there's a chance that they'll make fun of us. Not everyone is supportive of two males in a relationship."

"I don't care about things like that. I won't let those things get to me. As long as you love me, I'll be fine."

Fuji lightly brushed the shorter boy's cheek with his right hand. Swiftly, he took his left arm and pulled it around Eiji's waist drawing him closer and closer until their lips met. As they parted, Fuji nudged his nose against Eiji's face making him giggle.

"If that's how you feel, I'll always love you."

"Fuji, I―" Eiji stopped as the bell rang. "Oh, I guess I'll talk to you at lunch."

"Right," Fuji smiled as they parted ways.

* * *

Eiji sat down at his desk. He fished through his bag and pulled out a notebook and a pen. As he began to scribble on the paper, two boys from his class walked up to him.

"What's this, Kikumaru-kun?" a brunette took the paper from off Eiji's desk. "Oh…a note to Fuji-kun."

"Fuji, Saturday's date was amazing. I'm so glad that we've decided to be more than friends," a blonde boy read. "So, you're going out with Fuji?"

"Who would have guessed our little Kikumaru-kun would be gay?"

"Stop it. Give it back," Eiji asked.

The blonde ripped up what Eiji had written. "Shut up, Kikumaru. You don't need these stupid letters if you're already in love."

"We don't need people like you in our class," the brunette kicked Eiji's bag across the room. "Learn your place."

The two of them walked away laughing. Eiji tried to laugh along with them, but the words they said hurt. He laid his head on his desk. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep the tears forming.

"For Fuji…" he whispered. "I won't let these things get to me. His love is more important…"

**NOTE:**** I kind of feel bad for Eiji. I should be nicer to him…but then I'd have to change the whole story. I wouldn't want to do that. I'm sorry~!**

**Thank you for the reviews. I hope that I can continue to make this fic better and better. Please, continue to read and support me. **

**Thank you~!**


	4. Chapter 4

_Monday. Lunch time._

Fuji ran down the hallway. He quickly stopped when he spotted Oishi Shuichiro.

"Oishi, are you going to Eiji's classroom?" Fuji questioned the taller boy.

"Yeah, I thought it would be nice to eat lunch with him today," Oishi explained.

"Good. Please, apologize to him for me. Tell him that I'm sorry I couldn't eat lunch with him today. I have to find some things in the library before next period."

"No problem. Get going," Oishi smiled as he watched Fuji ran off.

* * *

Eiji sat in the far, right corner of the classroom. He isolated himself from everyone and hoped that Fuji would walk into the room soon. Staring at his lunch, he realized that he wasn't that hungry. As he sat there, he began to play with his food. He took his chopsticks and swirled them around in the rice.

"Eiji."

The boy quickly looked up to see his old friend, Oishi. Smiling, Oishi sat down across from him.

"What are you doing here?" Eiji questioned.

"I thought you'd like some company today," Oishi opened his lunch and began to eat.

"Fuji was supposed to eat lunch with me, but I don't think he's coming."

"I saw him in the hall on my way here. He asked me to apologize for him. Fuji had to find something in the library before his next period."

"Oh…" Eiji continued to play with his food.

"What's wrong, Eiji? You don't seem yourself today," Oishi frowned. He always worried about his friends; it was just the type of person he was.

"We're going out…Fuji and I…"

"That's great. I know you two will be happy together, but that doesn't explain why you look so sad."

"Is it wrong for me to love another guy?"

"Eiji, there's nothing wrong with it. Some people don't understand that love is love no matter what. It's going to be hard because there are people out there that won't support you."

"Oishi, it hurts knowing that people don't like me just because of the relationship I'm in. I love Fuji, but it hurts…it hurts so much. He's important; our relationship is important. I shouldn't let these things get to me. I shouldn't care if people tease me or say that I'm gay," Eiji moved his lunch off to the side and placed his head on the desk. "Even though it shouldn't matter to me, I'm still letting it get to me."

"…Eiji…" Oishi softly placed his right hand on the boy's head. "Even if you don't think anyone will support you, you'll always have two people you can count on for sure."

"Two?" he lifted his head up and looked at Oishi with curious eyes.

"Well, Fuji would be one, and I would be the other."

"You?"

"Yes, me. You're my friend, Eiji. As I said, love is love no matter what. Whenever you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you. We may no longer play tennis together as the golden pair, but that doesn't mean we should stop supporting each other. Right?"

"Right! Oishi and Eiji! We're the golden friends~!"

"Exactly, so don't le―" Oishi stopped as the bell rang.

"Oh, we better get to our next class. I'll talk to you later, Oishi. Thank you!" Eiji grabbed his unfinished lunch and ran out of the classroom.

Slowly, Oishi picked up his things and let out a sigh. "I still don't think he fully understands yet…" Shaking his head, he left the room.

**NOTE:**** Woo~! Another chapter finished! I really do enjoy writing this story. I want to continue to make this fic better and better. I hope that everyone who reads this fic will stick around and read the whole thing until the very end. Thank you, everyone, for all the wonderful reviews. Your support means a lot to me~!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Monday. After School._

Fuji stood outside of the school building. His hair swayed in the wind as waited. As he saw Eiji make his way out of the school, he quickly grabbed the boy by the wrist.

"Fuji!" Eiji was shocked by the other boy's touch.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to see you during lunch," Fuji apologized.

"It's ok; Oishi explained everything."

"Are you ok? Did anything bad happen in school today?"

"Huh?" Eiji looked away and bit his lip. "Why would you think that? I'm fine. Everything fine…because I have you."

"Eiji," Fuji slowly opened his eyes to reveal their blue color. "I don't want you lying to me. If something happened, you can tell me…I want you to tell me."

"It's nothing to worry about."

"Hey! Look, it's the Kikumaru-kun and his lover," the brunette from Eiji's class walked past the two. "Should you two really be acting so loving out in public?"

Eiji began to shake as Fuji pulled him closer. He could sense the boy's anger along with his sadness.

"Does this really concern you?" Fuji questioned the brunette.

"Not at all; I just enjoy doing these types of things," he laughed and ran off.

"Eiji…"

"I'm fine," Eiji mumbled as he grabbed onto Fuji's shirt. Tears began to form in his sapphire colored eyes. "I won't let these things get to me."

"Then, why are you crying?"

"Doesn't it hurt you, Fuji? Doesn't it make you sad that even though we're in love…there are still so many people that won't support us?"

Fuji pulled his fingers through Eiji's red-brown hair. "Did you think it was going to be easy? You should have known that it was going to be hard. Eiji, if you can't handle the things people might say, then we should break this off before we get any farther."

"What?" Eiji pushed himself away. "No! I'll be fine, Fuji. I promise. I won't let the things people say get to me anymore." He wiped his eyes with the back of his right hand. "I won't cry about it anymore. I promise!"

"Fine, but if I see that you're hurting because of our relationship, we should break up and go different ways."

"I'm not going to let that happen."

Fuji softly smiled. "Ok, we should get home then."

"Right!" Eiji leaned in and lightly pecked Fuji's cheek with his lips. Pulling away, he ran off in the direction on his house. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye," Fuji nodded as he went the opposite way. "Eiji…are you really going to be ok?"

* * *

Eiji sat at the brown desk in his bedroom. He pulled out his math book and paper. Reading the first question, he began to write down his answer. After finishing his math homework, he pulled out his next subject. As he continued to work on his homework, a guilty feeling settled in his heart. Tears began to fall onto the papers on his desk.

"I lied…" Eiji pulled his hand up and touched his cheek. "I can't help it. I don't want to lose Fuji…but…it really does hurt." He placed his head on his desk. "I can't let him see me like this. I can't…let him know…"

**NOTE:**** So…I realized something as I was writing this…Fuji…he's supposed to be shorter than Eiji. I always have Fuji being taller than Eiji. I mean, there's not a huge difference in their height…so I guess it's ok. Ah~! I'm sorry I've always made that mistake with their heights! I just always picture Fuji taller than Eiji. It's how I've always pictured them when I…well…picture them together. Lets just pretend that Fuji is the taller one…for the sake of…um…all of my Prince of Tennis fics (because I've made that mistake in all of the ones with Fuji and Eiji in them). I'm sorry~!**

**Anyways, I was going to write this chapter last night…but I became distracted. I told myself that I couldn't write any new fanfics until either this one or "The Fallen Prince" was finished. What do I do? I came up with another fanfic. It'll be my side project that I won't post until it's finished (It's a FujiXEiji fic if you must know.).**

**Heh~! I wrote this chapter instead of doing other things I wanted to do. It's now almost 2:30 in the morning. I'm going to stop typing so I can post this. Maybe I'll be able to do a few more things before I head off to bed…I'm not sure.**

**Ah, before I leave, I would like to thank everyone for the reviews and continuing to read this fic of mine. Thank you~!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Tuesday. Before school._

Fuji stood outside of the school. He began to whistle and tap his foot. As he saw Oishi walking up to the school building, he quickly made his way over to him.

"Good morning, Fuji," Oishi smiled.

"Morning," Fuji placed his hand on the boy's shoulder to make him stop. "I need to ask you something."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Have you and Tezuka talked lately?"

"Well, not really. Ever since we started high school, we haven't done much together. He seems to have other things on his mind."

"Would you say that he's changed?"

"Somewhat."

"Oishi…" Fuji looked away. "I don't like the person Tezuka is becoming. He's hanging out with different people…he's acting differently."

"What makes you say all of this all of a sudden?"

"Tezuka is in a few of Eiji's classes."

"You're confusing me."

"Eiji told you about our relationship, right?"

"Yeah. I'm very happy for the two of you."

"Our old captain isn't."

"What do you mean? The one that was teasing Eiji yesterday way…" Oishi's voice drifted off.

"Yes, it was Tezuka. Even with darker hair and no glasses, I can recognize him. I find it hard to believe that Tezuka would be the type to bully someone…especially an old teammate."

"Maybe you should talk to him about it. Tezuka might stop because of you."

"I doubt it. He's been around people that have made him unlike himself. I don't think he'd listen if I asked him to stop."

"Eiji will just have to be strong and not pay attention to the things others say. He has you…and I'm always going to support him too."

"I hope he'll realize that soon. If he can't, I'll make it where he won't have to be hurt by things people say."

"You mean, you'd break up with him?"

"If that's the only thing I can do."

"Fuji! Oishi!" Eiji laughed as he ran up to the two boys. "Good morning~!"

"Hi, Eiji," Oishi looked at his watch. "I better get going. I have a few things I want to do before school starts. I'll see you two later." He left before they could respond.

Fuji leaned towards Eiji and kissed his lips. "How are you?"

"I'm good," a red shade colored Eiji's cheeks. "I'm even better now that I get to see you."

"You're too cute sometimes, Eiji," Fuji smiled as he saw the brunette from the other day walk by. "Good morning, Tezuka."

The boy turned to see the two. "I see you two are together again. Are you ever apart? It's sickening just looking at you two."

"Your words are so kind, Tezuka."

"Fuji," Eiji pulled at the taller boy's sleeve to make him stop.

"You're the same as always, Fuji. You shouldn't always have that carefree look on your face," Tezuka smirked and walked into the school.

"Sorry, Eiji. Did I make you uncomfortable?" Fuji questioned.

"No…it's just…he was…and…" Eiji began to mumble things that Fuji couldn't understand.

"I know, Eiji, I know. Who would have thought our old tennis captain would become so cold."

"It fits him…I guess. Though, his smile might be more frightening than the things he says."

Fuji giggled. "You're right. Tezuka is no longer our captain. He's just a bully now. You shouldn't even let the things he says bother you."

"I know. I won't," Eiji fixed his bag that rested on his shoulder. "I sure did like him better back in junior high though."

"I think we all did," the bell rang for the start of school. "We should get to class. I'll do my best to come eat lunch with you."

"Ok! I'll see you later than~!"

The two of them went in different directions as the entered the school building. Once Eiji could no longer see Fuji, a worried look formed on his face. He was unsure of how long he could fake being ok.

**NOTE:**** Say what!? Tezuka's the one being mean to Eiji? How did that happen? Yeah…just go with it. Even if you don't like it, go with it. Crazy things happen in this brain of mind which makes things like what happened in this chapter happen. I wanted to make Tezuka the bad guy. It was either him, Inui, or Kawamura (because Oishi is part of Eiji's support system). I couldn't see Kawamura making fun of anyone unless he's holding onto a tennis racket or something. Inui…well…I don't know. I just wanted it to be Tezuka! That's it. That's how I came up with it. Ok…?**

**Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to yell. It was rude of me. Please, forgive me.**

**Anyways, this will be the last update this week. I'm busy this weekend due to an anime convention I'm going to (Tomorrow I have to finish getting things together for my cosplay and the next day I'm off to the convention for three days.). I'll try to get another chapter up after my busy weekend.**

**Thank you for continuing to read this fic. It makes me so happy to see all the reviews and such. Thank you, again~!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Tuesday. During school._

Fuji sat in his desk and flipped through his notebook. As he heard the door open, he looked up to see a tall boy wearing glasses. Walking over to Fuji's desk, the boy sat down and pulled out a green notebook.

"Inui," Fuji smiled.

"Is that the greeting I get?" he demanded. "Maybe I should have you try a new juice I made."

"Ah…haha…no, that's ok. What are you doing here?"

"I knew this was your free period. I have this period free too, so I thought I'd come talk to you."

"I see."

"I was talking to Oishi. He told me about you and Eiji."

"Did he tell you about Tezuka?"

Inui nodded as he opened his notebook. "There's a―"

"Please, Inui, I don't think that this is the time for your data," he pulled his hand up and closed the notes.

"Don't you want to know the chances that Eiji won't come out of this ok?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I thought you were smarter than this, Fuji. Eiji is pretty good at pretending to be happy, but he is the type to overreact. I'm sure if you continue to support him, he'll be fine. Of course, there's still the chance that he won't be. As the teasing continues, he will continue to become more and more insecure. You'll notice that he's no longer himself. If things keep going like that, he will more than likely have a complete metal break down."

"But he should be fine."

"Data doesn't lie. The chance that he'll be able to continue in this relationship without being mentally hurt is very slim."

"What do you think would happen to him if I broke up with him instead?"

"Eiji would be hurt for a good bit of time, but he'd get over it as time goes on. As long as you keep a distance from him and not allow him back in, he should be able to forget the relationship you two have and more on."

"I'll give it a few more weeks. If I see any sign of him getting worse, I'll have to let him go. He's more important to me than our relationship. If he can't keep himself from breaking down because of teasing in high school…well…I don't even want to think about what could happen to him after school ends."

"Giving him that little bit might be enough. Hopefully the relationship you two have will be strong enough to pull him through these rough times."

"I hope so…"

* * *

The bell had rung to signal the end of class. Eiji quickly picked up his things and ran to Tezuka's desk. Slamming his hands on the desk, the other boy looked up.

"What do you want?" Tezuka demanded.

"I don't know what happened between junior high and high school, but you've changed a lot Tezuka. I would really appreciate it if you would leave Fuji and me alone. The things you say aren't nice and…I…um…" Eiji paused. He had lost the words he wanted to say.

"You think I would have accepted your relationship back in junior high? There are some things you need to get through your head; we're no longer in the tennis club together. I'm no longer your captain. We just happen to be classmates; nothing else. If you don't like the things I say, learn to ignore them. Are you just that mentally weak that you take everything so seriously? You're just a naïve child. The fact that you and Fuji are together is just wrong. I will never accept your relationship, so don't hold your breath thinking I will. I don't like you. I don't like your relationship. I don't think of you as anything more than a freaky, gay classmate. Got it?" Tezuka stood up. "Don't talk to me, don't look at me, and don't ever think about me as being your old tennis captain. Things change, so learn to forget about the past." He left the room.

"Tezuka…" Eiji's voice cracked. "How can I just forget the past? How can you say such cold things? It's not wrong…our love can't be wrong…" He wiped the tears forming in his eyes with the back of his hand. Slowly, Eiji stumbled out of the classroom and went to his next class.

**NOTE:**** Sorry that it took me so long to update. I was busy with my anime convention a few days ago. Now, I've been trying to get all the videos up from the Prince of Tennis panel (That was so much fun~!). Along with that, we've (meaning a few people and me) already begun talking about the panel next year. On top of that, I'm sick. I don't know why, but I hate writing when I'm sick. **

**Anyways, sorry about all of my excuses; I have finally finished another chapter for this fic (Now, all I have left is to update "Call Me Beautiful".). I hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter. Tezuka isn't being very nice…but Inui made a special appearance (along with his data). He even wants Fuji to try one of his new juices (I tried Inui juice…Penal Tea to be more specific. It wasn't all that bad~!). Umm…yeah…so, I will try to update again soon. Thank you for reading and continuing to read and reviewing and for anything else I forgot to list~! **


	8. Chapter 8

_Tuesday. Lunch time._

Fuji walked into the classroom where Eiji usually ate lunch. Seeing the boy sitting by himself in the corner of the room, he quickly went towards him. Not being spotted by Eiji yet, Fuji pulled his hands over the boy's eyes.

"Guess who," Fuji whispered into Eiji's ear.

Eiji, without thinking, pulled away from Fuji. "What are you doing here, Fuji?"

"Hmm?" he tilted his head to one side. "I thought we could have lunch together. Do you not want to?"

"No, it's fine."

Fuji sat down across from the boy. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing. I'm fine," Eiji forced a smile on his face.

"What did Tezuka say to you this time?"

"It was nothing…we had a nice conversation."

"You're lying to me again."

"No, I'm not."

"You are, Eiji. You're letting the things he say get to you again. It hasn't even been a week since we started going out, and you're already falling apart. I don't want to see you this way. I care too much about you. Eiji, maybe it's better if w―"

Eiji clasped his hands against Fuji's mouth. "Please, Fuji, don't say anymore. Just give me a little bit, and I'll get used to these things."

"Eiji," Fuji mumbled from beneath the boy's hands.

"Sorry," he pulled away. "I'll try my hardest to ignore the things other people say…because I want to be with you forever."

Fuji grabbed onto Eiji's shoulder and brought him closer. He closed the gap between them with his lips. Letting go of Eiji, Fuji smiled.

"Fuji!" Eiji whined.

"Don't worry, no one was watching. Anyways, there's no teachers in here right now anyways," Fuji giggled.

A light shade of red crossed Eiji's face. "I know…but…"

"Lets go out on another date this Sunday. I'll call you later tonight to talk about it."

"Right!"

"I want to spend all my time with you, Eiji."

"You do?"

"Are you saying you don't want to spend all your time with me?"

"Of course I do! I already told you, I want to be with you forever."

As the bell rang to signal the end of the period, Fuji brushed his hand against Eiji's cheek. He whispered that he'd talk to the boy later on. As Fuji made his way to his next class, he could only hope that he could prove to Eiji this Sunday that he didn't need to worry about the things other said about their relationship. He wanted to prove to Eiji that no matter what happened in the future, their love would continue to grow. Eiji, even though he was happy about being with Fuji, worried about every little thing that was going on. He did love Fuji, but he was starting to think that they should limit how they show their affection during school. He didn't want to continue to get hurt by the things other said. He wanted to grow stronger for Fuji. No matter how hard he tried, tears always formed in his eyes just thinking about the cruel things Tezuka might say next. Eiji knew that Fuji didn't want him hiding how he was feeling or lying to him, but Eiji was starting to think that it was the only way to keep the two of them together.

**NOTE:**** I know, this chapter is kind of short. I didn't want to put anymore to this chapter because the next thing that's going to be written will more than likely be Fuji and Eiji's date on Sunday. Anyways, we're actually almost back to the part that happens in the beginning of this fic. Then, we get to see what happens with Fuji and Eiji's relationship. Will they really stay broken apart or will they get back together and live happily ever after? You'll just have to wait and see~!**

**Oh, sorry that it took me awhile to get this chapter up. I had started working on making a website and got distracted by it. Now that I look at what time it is, I'm kind of shocked. I usually update my stories somewhere around 5PM-5AM (Central time). It's only going on 3PM here…it's amazing~! Haha.**

**Now, what else was I going to say? I feel weird making Tezuka the bad guy. I don't know why. Maybe it's the fact that I try so hard to make sure characters aren't OOC…and Tezuka kind of is OOC. I really hope you guys don't mind. I made Tezuka the bad guy because I wanted all the characters to have a connection somehow. I think that if it was just some random brunette, Eiji wouldn't have been so hurt with the things he said, but with it being his old tennis captain saying these things, it really affects him. That's what I think anyways.**

**Sorry, I've said too much, haven't I? Thank you for reading and reviewing and everything else you do. It means a lot to me~!**


	9. Chapter 9

_Sunday. The Date._

Fuji and Eiji stood close as the walked down the sidewalk holding hands. Softly, Eiji placed his head on Fuji's shoulder and let it rest there. Fuji took this opportunity to wrap his arm around Eiji and pull him closer.

"Fuji…"

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Fuji stopped.

"No."

"What's wrong?"

Eiji let go of Fuji and moved away. "I don't mind it, you know, when you hold me and stuff."

"I'm glad," Fuji smiled as he opened his eyes. "Seeming that we are a couple, it would be odd for you to not like me to hold you."

"Yeah," his laugh was fake. "But…maybe you could be a little less affectionate during school."

"Ah, so I was right; something _is_ wrong."

"Just forget it, Fuji, don't worry about what I said."

"I'm not going to just forget it. If there's something you don't want me to do, then tell me. It's not like I'm going to be mad at you."

"I love you, Fuji," he paused for a minute to rethink what he wanted to say. "That should be enough to keep me going."

"That should be enough to keep you going?"

"He just makes me miserable…ever word he says," Eiji quickly looked away. "How am I supposed to just forget?"

"Eiji, what are you talking about? Is this about Tezuka again?"

"I just wanted him to leave us alone."

Fuji embraced Eiji in his long arms. "Don't talk to him anymore. Stay as far away from him as possible. Ignore him. If you keep listening to the things he says, you're just going to let it hurt you."

"I can't help it…he's still Tezuka-buchou to me. He's the one that was watching over us when we were in junior high. I even sort of looked up to him back then," Eiji didn't even try to hold back his tears. "Not anymore. I hate him. I hate the way he makes me feel. I just want him to leave us alone!"

Eiji's yelling made the other people on the sidewalk stop and look. One woman even stopped to make sure everything was ok. Fuji reassures her that it was nothing, and she was on her way. After that, Fuji took Eiji around the corner where there was no one watching them.

"I don't understand how you can just let Tezuka say these types of things and not be hurt by them," Eiji mumbled through his sobbing.

"The things he says do affect me, Eiji. You're being hurt by him…and knowing that kills me inside. I just wish you would learn to not let those things get to you."

"I'm fine."

"If you were fine, you wouldn't be crying. If you were fine, you wouldn't be lying to me."

"Maybe I'm just a crybaby," Eiji crossed his arms. "Maybe you just think I'm lying. How do you know I'm not telling the truth?"

"I warned you from the beginning that this wasn't going to be easy. I told you we should just hide our relationship. I wanted to do it for your sake. I knew that this would happen, but you didn't want to hide it from anyone. You said that you wouldn't let these things get to you. You're the one who said that all you needed was my love to be ok. Eiji, I love you more than anything else in this world, but I'm willing to throw it all away to stop you from getting hurt. Don't you understand that? I want you to tell me how you feel so I can try my best to make it better. If you don't tell me what's making you worry, then what am I supposed to do? Do you want me to just watch you suffer and act the same? Do you want me to just leave you crying here and pretend I didn't see anything? I can't do that, Eiji. I love you too much to let you continue like this."

"I love you too," Eiji looked up to see tears in Fuji's eyes. "Fuji, you―!"

"I'll cry with you…I'll do anything for you," his voice was becoming shaky. "Just, promise me you won't hide anything from me."

"He said I was mentally weak and a naïve child. He thinks of me as nothing more than a freaky, gay classmate. Our love is wrong. He hates me. I take everything too seriously. I'm nothing but a crybaby. I've been lying to you. Now, I've made you cry. I'm probably the worst boyfriend in the world and it makes me question why you love me."

Fuji wiped his own tears away and brushed his hand against Eiji's cheek. "Some people might think our love is wrong, but as long as you love me and I love you, it shouldn't matter to us what others think. Tezuka has changed. Just remember the Tezuka from junior high and pay no mind to what he's become now. If you have to cry, then cry. Yes, you can be a little overdramatic, but that's just who you are. There's nothing wrong with you needing to cry over things every once in awhile. I know you've been lying, but as long as you start telling me only the truth from now on, I'll forgive you." Fuji kissed Eiji forehead and smiled. "You're not the one who made me cry. I guess I just needed to shed a few tears myself." He pulled the other boy in his arms and brought him closer. "I think you're a wonderful boyfriend."

Eiji looked up into Fuji's blue eyes. "Why do you love me?"

"Because you're the only one I could ever see myself with."

Even though the answer he gave was simple, it was enough to make Eiji blush. As the two of them stood there holding each other, Fuji could only hope that the reason for him loving Eiji so much could keep him from completely breaking down. Though, deep down in his heart, Fuji felt Eiji drifting farther and farther away. He knew that his love would not be enough to save Eiji from the pain of others' words. In the end, he would have to make a decision: let Eiji get hurt and continue to love him or let Eiji go so he no longer has to be hurt because of their love.

"Always love me, Fuji," Eiji whispered.

"I will…"

**NOTE:**** What a wonderful date these two had, no? It was filled with holding hands, hugging, and Eiji being…well…Eiji (At least, him being him the way he is in this fic.). **

**Have you noticed that this fic getting closer to where it was at the beginning? Of course, more happens after the event at the beginning of this fic. What kind of writer would I be if I just ended it with that? If I did, too many questions will be left unanswered. Will Fuji and Eiji be able to stay together? Will Eiji be able to overcome the pain of Tezuka's words so their relationship can continue? Will Tezuka stop being such a jerk? Will Inui come back with more random data? What is Inui's new juice made of? What does Ryoma think of all of this? What happened to Oishi? Will Fuji become the next top model?**

**Ok, for your information, Inui Juice will not appear in this fic (that I'm aware of). Also, Ryoma says "Mada mada dane" to everything that is going on in this fic (and is happy that he's at home with Karupin and doesn't have to deal with any of this). I only said something about Fuji becoming the next top model because of my fanfic "Call Me Beautiful" where Fuji is a model. Oishi will make more appearances. I don't think Inui will have more data. All the other questions I asked will not be answered will be answered by the end of this fic. BURNING~! (I just really wanted to do that…)**

**Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm sorry that I haven't been updating like I said I would (every 1-3 days). I've been all crazy messed up because of trying to get other things (that aren't fanfic related) finished or started…or something like that. Whatever. Please continue to read this fic all the way through. Well, you don't have to. If you hate it, then you don't have to read it all. Though, do tell me what you don't like about it if you do hate it. Uh…sorry, sorry. Thank you~!**

**(I know, this note thing is so long. Sorry. If you end up finding that I repeated myself a lot in this chapter or something seems to be missing, please tell me. I wrote this at three or for different times, and I have a habit of forgetting the things I write. Thanks~!) **


	10. Chapter 10

_Six days later. Friday. After school._

Eiji walked out of the school and greeted Oishi who seemed to be waiting for him. Smiling, he followed his friend down the path from the building towards the road. The continued towards Eiji's house.

"I found it odd that you asked me to walk with you. Don't you usually walk home with Fuji?" Oishi questioned.

Eiji nodded. "Yeah, but he had to do something today."

"I see."

"Uh!" he stopped and looked over at Oishi. "Do you think that I'm just using you as a substitute while Fuji isn't around?"

"Not at all, Eiji. I understand that you just wanted someone to walk with you. I already told you that I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Oishi."

They continued to walk. "How has things been going? Is Tezuka still teasing you?"

"He still says things behind my back. I pretend to not listen. Anyways, I found a better way to make it where it doesn't bother me as much," Eiji giggled.

"What do you mean?" Oishi's eyes grew bigger as they reached Eiji's house. "You don't mean…" He pulled his arms up and placed his right index and middle fingers on his left wrist making a cutting motion.

"No, no, no!" Eiji was shocked that he would even think such a thing. "You're crazy, Oishi!"

"Then, what have you been doing?"

"I thought as long as I pretended to be strong in front of Tezuka and Fuji, I'd be fine. Instead of crying to show I'm weak and making Fuji be concerned, I won't do it anymore."

"You must be getting better at not letting things bother you."

"Yep! I just cry myself to sleep instead!"

"Eiji, hiding the fact that you're hurting will just make things worse."

"But…if Fuji finds out that I'm not ok, he'll get mad. He'll hate me."

"He won't hate you for letting him know how you feel."

"I don't want him to leave me…"

"Eiji."

"Please, don't tell him."

"You can't hide this, Eiji."

Tears began to form in Eiji's eyes. "I don't understand why I keep letting these things get to me. I'm trying my hardest to not pay attention, but I always know he's talking about me. Even when I tell myself that he's the one being childish, Tezuka's words hit me hard," Eiji wrapped himself in his own arms. "I don't want Fuji to have to worry about me anymore. I just want him to love me. As long as he continues to love me…I should be fine."

"Try to think these things over. What kind of relationship is based on hiding the truth? I don't think Fuji will stop loving you just because you're hurt by Tezuka's words. It would be just silly for him to do such a thing."

"I know, Oishi," Eiji let out a sigh. "I'll talk to you later." Without letting Oishi say another word, he walked into his house.

* * *

While Oishi and Eiji walked home, Fuji sat in an empty classroom. He stared out the window. There were two birds chasing one another. As he continued to watch them, Tezuka made his way into the room.

"What did you want, Fuji?" Tezuka questioned.

"I didn't expect you to actually come. Tezuka, how have you been?" Fuji didn't even turn to look at the other boy.

Tezuka walked over to the desk Fuji sat in. "I've been fine. Why'd you want to see me?"

"Are you still making fun of Eiji?"

"Is that the reason you asked me here? You wanted to know if I've been making fun of your little toy?"

Fuji stood up and turned to Tezuka. "Little toy? The things you say have hurt Eiji. I don't understand why you would target him out of everyone else there is. It's not like we're the first two guys to walk down this hallway holding hands. Why him?"

"He's an easy target."

"Liar," Fuji's eyes opened to reveal an icy blue color. "He's already asked you once, but you just ignored his request. Now, I'll ask you. Please do us a favor and leave us alone."

"Fuji, do you really think you've got the right to boss me around? Eiji should just learn to ignore the things he doesn't like. He's being childish."

"He's being childish? You're the 17 year old that's poking fun at another person. You're the person who's making a person suffer more than he needs to."

"Get over it. He's just mentally weak. Always has been, always will be."

"Tezuka, you led us to the nationals. Together, we won the nationals. You were happy…you didn't show it very well, but you were. Was that all you wanted? Did you just want to use us to make your way to the top and just let us go? We were friends at one point. What happened to that friendship?" Fuji paused for a minute. "I heard that you stopped seeing your usually doctor. Oishi said that you wouldn't play tennis again. Your left shoulder was damaged even more. Is that it? You lost tennis so you decided to take it out on your old teammates?"

"That has nothing to do with you."

"You're ruining our perfectly good relationship, Tezuka. If I end up having to break up with Eiji because of the damage you've caused, I will never forgive you," Fuji grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder. He left Tezuka alone in the classroom.

"How would it be my fault if you decide to break up with him? Fuji, you're just as stupid as Eiji," Tezuka grabbed his left shoulder. After a moment, he walked out of the room.

**NOTE:**** Ah, this chapter was a lot shorter than I intended it to be. Oishi made an appearance which was nice…I think. I like writing parts for Oishi. He's the character I always go to when I need to make things not as crazy as they're turning out to be. Of course, the little scene between Tezuka and Fuji ruined Oishi's little motherly moment. Fuji let Tezuka have it! Well, sort of. I like evil Tezuka. Sure, you could say he's OOC, but I could have made him worse (Happy, dancing, singing, skipping, smiling Tezuka?). My first thought for the scene between Fuji and Tezuka was Tezuka saying something, and Fuji going "Are you just jealous of Eiji because of that one time we had together before high school?" Seriously, that was first thing that came to me. I decided against it for a few reasons. One, Tezuka being evil was enough of a twist. Two, I don't even like Tezuka and Fuji together, so I wouldn't even make a small reference to it. Three, I'd rather the reason behind Tezuka being so mean to not be so personal.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter. I was going to write it a few days ago, but I had done two updates and put up a new fic on the day I was going to update. I just didn't feel like writing anymore. I was going to write this chapter yesterday, but the first time I tried, I only got "Six days later. Friday. After school." Then, when I went back to writing the same day, I noticed that it was 3 in the morning. Yeah, I decided to sleep instead of write. Sorry, sorry. So much random things I say…erm…write. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed. I hope you will continue to read until the very end. Yes? Ok. Thank you~!**

**(Oh! I just noticed that this is chapter 10. Wow! I wonder how many chapters total this fic will be…) **


	11. Chapter 11

_Monday. Before class._

Tezuka walked into his English class. In the corner of the room, he saw Eiji sitting by himself. Lately, the boy seemed to isolate himself more and more. Eiji didn't even look at Tezuka anymore. It seemed as if he finally learned to not let the things being said get to him. Of course, Tezuka couldn't stand it. He made his way over to Eiji's desk.

Eiji looked up. "Tezuka…"

"Your perfect world will crumble soon. Everything that's good has to end…for you, for me, for Fuji…for everyone," Tezuka stared straight into Eiji's eyes. "The happiness that was once so beautiful has already started to fade away."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't like it…it's wrong," he left the boy for his desk.

"What?" Eiji frowned. _What's that supposed to mean? I don't understand Tezuka. Does he plan on breaking Fuji and I apart?

* * *

_

A few classrooms down the hall, Fuji sat in his desk talking with Oishi.

A concern look formed on Oishi's face. "How have things been going with Eiji?"

"I still think he's hiding something from me. Even if he is, I hope that we can work through it all," Fuji smiled and clapped his hands together. "Tezuka isn't very happy with me though."

"You talked to him?"

"I tried to…it turned into an argument though. I brought up things that I shouldn't have."

"Tezuka wanted to go to the top. I guess the nationals weren't enough for him. Things have changed since our days in junior high, and I can understand why he would be frustrated. He's taking things too far though."

"It's ok, Oishi. You don't need to get so worked up about it. It's not your problem…Tezuka isn't bothering you."

Oishi quickly stood up. "But you and Eiji are my friends. I worry about it."

"Oishi-san, please sit back down," the teacher mumbled from her desk.

"Ah, sorry," he bowed and took his seat. He turned to Fuji. "I hope you understand what I mean, Fuji."

"I do…I just don't want you to have to get yourself hurt over these things."

"As I said, you two are my friends. If you're being hurt, I am too. I know that the hurt can't possibly be as strong as what you're feeling, but it's still there," Oishi looked past Fuji and out the window. "Maybe I can talk to Tezuka. I won't bring up things I shouldn't...we'll just talk about things."

"Oishi, you don't have to do that."

"I want to. I miss the old Tezuka…"

A soft smile grew across Fuji's face as he nodded. "I understand. Do what you need to."

"Are you going to eat lunch with Eiji today?" Oishi changed subjects.

"I was thinking about it. What are you doing for lunch?"

"Nothing. I'll probably just eat in the classroom by myself today."

"Why don't we go have lunch with Eiji? It's really nice out. We could eat lunch outside."

"I don't want to intrude."

"I'm sure Eiji would be happy to have lunch with both of us."

"Ok, if you say so. I'll meet you at Eiji's classroom at lunchtime."

The bell rang to signal the end of class. Fuji gathered his books and stood up. He turned and looked at Oishi straight in the eyes. "Oishi, I'm glad that Eiji and I at least have your support."

"I'm always here to support my friends," Oishi smiled and walked out of the classroom.

"Thank you…"

* * *

_Monday. Five minutes before lunchtime._

Fuji stuck his head in Eiji's class. When Eiji looked up towards him, he waved for him to come to the door. Getting up, Eiji made his way towards Fuji.

"Get your things, lets go have lunch outside today," Fuji smiled.

"Ok," Eiji nodded and walked back to his desk.

Oishi tapped Fuji on the shoulder. "Is it ok if someone else joins us?"

"Hmm?" Fuji looked past Oishi.

"The chances that Kikumaru will be surprised to see me…100 percent."

Eiji, after getting his things, saw Oishi next to Fuji. "Oishi, you're going to eat lunch with us?"

"If that's ok with you," he smiled.

"Of course!" Eiji turned to look at the third person. "Inui!"

"I would also like to join you," Inui pushed up his glasses.

"Yeah! This will be fun!" there was a sparkle in Eiji's eyes that had not been there in the past few weeks. Even his smile seemed brighter.

"Lets go," Fuji leaded the three other boys down the hall and outside. After seeing Eiji with a sincere smile, it made him think that things might actually be ok…at least for today.

**NOTE:**** So…I thought I didn't update this fic since May 31****st****, but I actually updated it on the 2****nd**** of June. Seriously, I didn't think I updated any of my fics since May 31****st**** other than my now completed fic, "The Fallen Prince". I even thought this was the fic I needed to update first. I feel slightly silly. Ok, well, I did need to update this story because it's been…um…seven days since I last updated. Yeah, my one to three days update schedule isn't working for me anymore if you haven't noticed. I've been busy doing things that I'm not even that sure about what they are. **

**Anyways, this was chapter 11. I cut off before they had lunch because lunchtime is when I'm going to bring in some other things and so on. Inui is back for lunch. That'll be interesting. I think I said before that he wasn't coming back into the story…I lied~! I threw him back in because his data makes me laugh…and if I didn't laugh while writing this story…I might cry. Ah, well, that's only because I know what's going to happen in the end (or do I?). Oishi is usually my person to go to when I need to make things less crazy, but things might get crazy with him…so I needed Inui. I really do like Oishi though. I never really cared for him until I needed support keeping away from too much crazy (Am I just using him?). No, it's just something about him that I like. His motherliness is very helpful at time.**

**Ok, so, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will work on getting up the next chapter after I write new chapters for "Call Me Beautiful" and "One Month Left". I want to write a few more fics that would be in chapters, but I fear I would get confused and have too much to work on. Maybe I'll do some random couple like Eiji and Momoshiro…or Kaidoh and Ryoma. Or I could stick with something not so random (to me) like Oshitari and Mukahi. Maybe? I'm not sure. That's not really something I need to be deciding here. Haha…yeah. Thank you for reading. I hope you're liking this fic so far~!**


	12. Chapter 12

_Monday. During lunch._

Eiji, Fuji, Oishi, and Inui sat under a tree in the field in front of the school. The wind softly blew, and there was a feeling that rushed through Eiji. It was something that he hadn't felt at school in awhile…happiness.

"I think we should take this time to try my new juice," Inui pulled out a small water bottle.

"I think I'll pass. Thanks for the offer," Eiji was disgusted just by the thought of the juice.

"Fuji?"

"Tempting, but I don't want to risk passing out," Fuji softly giggled.

"Oishi?"

"I'm not really all that thirst," Oishi nodded along with Eiji and Fuji. "Why don't you have some for yourself?"

"Ah, I think it still has some adjustments," Inui placed the bottle back into his bag.

"It's nice being outside, don't you think, Eiji?" Fuji turned his attention to the boy who was quickly eating his food.

"Great," Eiji mumbled through a mouth full of rice.

"Don't east too fast, you're going to choke."

"I'm glad we're getting to spend time together like this. It's not often that we do seeming that we're all so busy with school," Oishi looked across the field. "Uh!"

"What is it, Oishi?" Inui wondered.

"It's nothing. I'll be back in a minute," he stood up and walked in the direction he was looking.

"What was that about?" Eiji stared at Oishi as he left. "What could of made him run off like that?"

"Tezuka," Fuji spotted what Oishi was looking at.

"Tezuka? What does Oishi think he's doing?" Eiji but his bottom lip. "He should have just stayed here. Tezuka will just be a jerk and say mean things to him."

"It's something he wants to do, so we should let him."

"Chances that there are reasons behind Oishi wanting to talk to Tezuka due to things other than your relationship together…100 percent," Inui took a sip of his water.

* * *

Oishi made his way past a few other people and up to Tezuka. He lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

"What?" Tezuka turned around. "Oishi…"

"I'd like to talk to you," Oishi tried to look straight at Tezuka but couldn't.

"If it has anything to do with Fuji or Kikumaru, I don't want to hear it."

"Please, Tezuka, would you just listen for a moment?"

"Fine," he folded his arms.

"You need to stop saying things about Eiji. What you're doing is wrong. Even if it's unintentional…you're slowly breaking them apart."

"I don't care what happens to them or their relationship."

"You would have cared back in junior high. The old Tezuka would have cared."

"How do you know?"

"Because, even though you used to look at us with a solemn look, you were still kind-hearted. You cared about us. Ever since you were told that you're no longer able to play tennis, you've changed. You're rude and nasty."

"I don't care. I'd rather not waste my time with you try to defend those two. There's no point to it. Why does it matter to you so much anyways?"

Oishi shifted his eyes up to look into Tezuka's. A stern expression painted his face. "They're my friends. No matter what…you're supposed to be there for your friends. I would have supported you, Tezuka. I would have been there for you, Tezuka. You're the one who did this to yourself. You're the one who's letting yourself fall deeper into this hole of misery. I would have helped you climb out. I would have done anything to help. You've changed now…so I don't know if I'd want to support you anymore. Tezuka, leave Fuji and Eiji out of your problems. Actually, leave everyone out of _your_ problems. We don't want to be victims to your cruelty."

"Shut up!" Tezuka pushed Oishi down and began to leave. "You don't know anything. You don't know what it's like to have something important to you taken away."

As Tezuka walked away, Oishi wrapped his arms around himself and looked to the ground. "How do you know?"

"Oishi!" Fuji, Eiji, and Inui called as they ran up to him.

"Are you ok? What were you thinking? Are you hurt?" Eiji clenched his fists. "You shouldn't have gotten in the middle of this. You're just going to get yourself hurt!"

"I'm fine, Eiji. I have my reasoning for doing this," Oishi softly smiled.

Inui helped Oishi off the ground. "I take it Tezuka didn't like what you said to him."

"Maybe I was too blunt…or maybe I wasn't blunt enough."

"Lets not worry about that right now. Lunch is almost over…we should get ready for the rest of the school day," Fuji decided.

Inui, Fuji, and Oishi began to walk back to the school's doors. Eiji stood there still. His whole body began to shake as tears streamed down his cheeks. Oishi only wanted to help his friends, but seeing him get pushed by Tezuka was too much. Eiji fell to his knees crying. If only the happiness he was feeling just a little bit ago would have lasted forever.

"Eiji!" Fuji quickly grabbed hold of the boy.

"Why does he have to keep doing this?" Eiji mumbled through his sobbing.

"Eiji, you knew this was going to be hard. If you can't handle this, how do I know you'll be ok after high school?"

"I'm fine…"

"You're not fine. You're hurting, and it's all because of our relationship," Fuji looked up towards the sky. "Maybe it's best if we break up."

"Please, Fuji," Eiji pulled his arms around Fuji. "Just one last time…one more chance. I'll prove to you that I'll be ok in the end."

"This is it. One more time is all I can give you. I don't want to see you continue to get hurt."

"This is all I need. I just need this chance and your love," Eiji pulled himself away and stood. "I'll be fine in the end…"

"Eiji, I just want what's best for you," Fuji reached up and wiped the last tears that rolled down Eiji's cheek.

"You are what's best for me."

"Eiji―" the bell for the next period to begin rang cutting Fuji off. "Lets get to class."

"Yeah," Eiji nodded as the two of them into the school.

**NOTE:**** So, yeah, this was their lunch. It started out happy at least. Inui Juice made another appearance (which was something I said wouldn't come back…I lied~!). Ok, let me explain to you why this chapter ended up this way. When I'm in a bad mood, my writing is either really good or really bad. You can be the judge on if this chapter is good or bad. When I'm in a bad mood, scenes where characters get all emotion are usually better for me to write. The scene between Tezuka and Oishi was going to happen sooner or later. I decided to put it in now. I like the scene. I like Oishi. I like evil Tezuka (even though I want to hit him). I don't like normal Tezuka though…weird.**

**Anyways, this also had one of Fuji and Eiji's break up scenes. Hey, if Eiji wasn't so insistent and one month had past, they would have broken up here. Of course, it hasn't been a month yet in story time. It has been…about two weeks or so. We still have a week to go through before they can have an official break up. Or is it two weeks? Hmm…well, I guess that all depends on how much time there is between their break up and where Eiji ends up at Fuji's house (the beginning of the first chapter). I wonder how many times Fuji has thought about breaking up with Eiji and not going through with it. **

**Ok, in other news…I have a new story that I plan on writing. I know I'm always writing either FujiXEiji, FujiXRyoma, or EijiXRyoma…well this one will probably be none of those. Yep! I'm thinking about writing myself a TezukaXOishi fic. I wonder if that pairing is popular (I just decided I liked it a few weeks ago because I'm random). I don't know when I'm going to start it, but when you see it, you'll probably being thinking something like "Does this girl ever stop writing?" "Does she have a life outside of fanfics?" "Another fic…where does she get the time to do all of these?" and "I bet she's going to get off of her update schedule again…" I will actually answer those questions because I love answer random questions. Yes, I do stop writing, but most of my day is taken up by such a task. This is because writing is my hobby and it is what I like to do. It is one of the only things I have the ability to do (I'm seriously not that good at much else…). I do have a life outside of fanfics. I enjoy playing videogames along with drawings. I also enjoy staring at my computer screen while listening to music (Again, I'm being serious. At times, I will get so distracted by music that I will just stare for hours at my computer screen.). I don't have much of a life right now, so I have plenty of time for writing. I'm currently out of school for the summer, and I don't really like going out. Believe me, to me, getting people to read my fics and having them tell me that I'm doing an ok job is more important to me than hanging out with friends (In other words, I'm a loser.). Yeah…knowing me I will get off my schedule. I tend to do that a lot lately…it's because I forget or something like that. **

**Enough of my rambling! Thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you will continue to read through this fic until the very end. I will update again sometime in the near (or distant) future. Thank you~!**


	13. Chapter 13

_Tuesday. During school._

Eiji sat at his desk scribbling down notes that his teacher wrote on the board. He let out a sigh as the bell rang. Gathering his thing, he put his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door. He took a glance behind him and spotted Tezuka.

"Tezuka…" Eiji smiled. "You know, I used to admire how strong you are."

Tezuka just nodded in response and pushed his way out of the classroom.

"Not even one nasty remark?" Eiji let out a sigh. "I say that like it's ok that he continues to hurt me." Eiji shook his head and left for his next class.

Tezuka continued down the hallway until he bumped into Fuji. Fuji stared down at Tezuka as he picked up his fallen books.

"Tezuka, are you ok?" even though he didn't overly like Tezuka anymore, Fuji's voice showed that he was being sincere.

"You…you and Kikumaru…" Tezuka mumbled as he walked past Fuji.

"That was weird," Fuji smiled and softly giggled. "I wonder if Eiji will have lunch with me today." He continued to smile as he went into the classroom.

* * *

_Tuesday. Lunchtime._

Fuji walked into the classroom where Eiji usually ate lunch. He smiled when he saw Eiji peacefully in the corner humming to himself as he at. Slowly, Fuji made his way over to him and sat down.

"You seem happy," Fuji noted.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Eiji placed his hands on Fuji's. "I have you, and Tezuka seems to be leaving me alone now."

"Really? He seemed different today."

"You talked to him?"

"Not really. He just bumped into me and mumbled random things."

"Well, no need to worry about him. I think our Tezuka problems are over!"

"Right."

The door to the classroom quickly opened. Tezuka looked around and spotted Eiji and Fuji. He pushed around a group of girls and made his way closer to the two boys. When he finally reached them, he grabbed Fuji by the collar of his school uniform.

"Tezuka! Let him go!" Eiji demanded, but he was just ignored.

"You know, this is all your fault, Fuji," Tezuka let go of him.

"What are you talking about?" Fuji questioned.

"If it wasn't for you, I would still be able to do things like I used to."

"So, you're blaming me for what happened to your arm? If you would give it a break every once in awhile, none of this would have happened. Oishi and I warned you that you shouldn't play for such a long time. You should have learned after those matches back in junior high. Stop bringing us into a mess that you could have avoided."

"Shut up!" Tezuka pushed the boy into the desks.

"Someone, get a teacher!" a girl called from by the door.

Tezuka ignored the girl and looked down at Fuji. "I learned that there's more to life than tennis."

"Hurting other people isn't a good life to live," Fuji stayed up against the desk.

"What do you know? You and Eiji have a perfect life with your perfect relationship. It makes me sick."

"Perfect? It's not even near perfect. Eiji will break down at any point because of the verbal abuse from you. If that's to happen, I would have to break up with him. Our lived aren't perfect…neither is our relationship."

"Like you'd break up with him," he pulled Fuji closer to him and punched him in the stomach. Fuji quickly fell to the ground without a word.

"Fuji!" Eiji screamed. Tear began to form in his eyes from the sight. "Look what you've done, Tezuka. Are you trying to kill him? What's wrong with you? Haven't you made us suffer enough? I-I…I don't like this…you're so mean…"

"Live with it, Kikumaru. I'll do what I want when I want to," Tezuka turned to see the teacher walking in. "I guess that's all for today. I'll visit you two real soon."

"Come on," the male teacher pulled Tezuka out of the room.

"Fuji…" Eiji crawled over to where Fuji sat. "Are you ok? It'll be ok…right?"

"Eiji," Fuji frowned and continued to sit with his eyes close. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? It's not your fault. Tezuka is just a jerk. Don't worry about him. The teacher will take care of everything. You're hurt though…you should go see the nurse.

Fuji stood up and pulled Eiji with him. "This will continue on and on."

"No it won't."

"Tezuka will continue to hurt us, so we need to stop before it goes any further than it has."

"What are you talking about?"

"Eiji…we can't continue like this. This is where it ends."

"Fuji?"

"I still love you, but you need to forget about it. Our love, our relationship…everything…"

"Why? What do you mean?"

"I'm breaking up with you," Fuji bit his lower lip.

"Bu―" Eiji was cut off by the ringing of the bell.

"I'm sorry," Fuji wobbled out of the classroom and didn't dare to look back.

"Fu…Fuji―!" Eiji fell to his knees. He knew that something like this could happen, but he never thought it would. Fuji was Eiji's world. Fuji was the only thing Eiji needed. Though, when Eiji needed Fuji the most, he couldn't just run back to him. Their relationship had ended because Eiji wasn't strong enough. He regretted all the times he cried and let Tezuka's words get to him. He regretted not telling Fuji the truth from the start. Between all the tears and lies, Eiji had lost that one thing that was most important to him…Fuji.

**NOTE:**** Update, update, update! I only have two stories up and I still can't update on time. Haha. **

**So, Fuji and Tezuka got into a fight…Tezuka hit him…Eiji cried…and…Fuji broke up with Eiji. I'm not the type to be overly emotional when I write, but my right eye got a little watery. I was sad. I knew this was going to happen, but I was sad!**

**Yes, this was their official break up. This will lead us to the beginning of the story. This will be the climax…or maybe it's won't. I'm not really overly sure. I'm just kind of out of words. I really don't know what to say.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The story's not over yet. Oh, and I would like to say that I said the wrong title for my new fic in the last chapter. It's "Somewhere Beyond the Musical Notes" not "Beyond the Musical Notes". That fic isn't posted yet…because I'm trying to decide if I want to leave the lyrics to songs in Japanese and put the translations in the end or just use the English translations and note which songs they are. It takes place in the winter time…which will be explained at the end of the first chapter. Uh…I'm off topic…sorry.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter. I will try to update again…sooner or later. I have to update "One Month Later". I'm so behind. Ah, yes, thank you, again~!**


	14. Chapter 14

_Friday. After school._

Oishi ran out of the school and down the street to Eiji's house. It had been three says since Eiji had gone to school. Oishi had assumed he was just sick, but when he finally heard the news that Fuji and Eiji broke up, he knew that Eiji wasn't sick in a way that could easily be healed. Arriving at Eiji's house, he knocked on the door.

Slowly, the door opened. "Go away."

"Eiji…" Oishi stared at his friend.

"Go away," Eiji tried to close the door, but Oishi wouldn't let him. "Why won't you go away?"

"I can't just leave you like this. You haven't been to school in days. You look like a mess."

"I don't care."

"I know what happened. Fuji told me everything."

"Oishi," Eiji's hands began to shake as he held onto the door. "Please, go away."

"You can't just keep yourself locked away like this. It's not healthy."

"I can and I will."

"Fuji just wanted what was best for you."

"Leaving me isn't what's best for me."

"He didn't want to see you get hurt."

"Do you really think breaking up with me wouldn't hurt?"

"You'll get over the break up though. If the two of you would have stayed together, all the teasing would have broke you. You weren't strong enough to handle the type of relationship you were in."

"We could have made things work. It would have been fine if he would have just given me a little more time."

"Eiji, he just wanted what was best for you. Even if you don't think it was for the best, it was."

"How would you know? It's not like you've ever been in love!" Eiji slammed the door.

"Eiji!" Oishi tried to open the door, but it was already locked. "I hope you'll be ok…"

* * *

Fuji sat on a hill close to the high school. He let out a sigh as the wind blew through his hair. The day that he first asked Eiji out raced through his mind. It was the same hill, same breeze, same time, and same day. There was a feeling deep inside his heart. He regretted that he couldn't make things better. He didn't like the fact that his love wasn't enough for Eiji. Even though he did this for Eiji's sake, he couldn't help but hate himself.

"So, what Oishi told me is true," Inui stared down at Fuji.

Fuji looked up and smiled. "Inui, how are you?"

"You seem sad. Maybe you're the one that needs to grow stronger."

"Ah, you ignored my question."

Inui sat down in front of him. "Tezuka was suspended for a week."

"It's what he gets for hurting others."

"Fuji, are you going to be ok?"

"I'm fine."

"It's going to hurt, but you'll get over the pain just like Eiji will."

"Do you think my decision was selfish? I only want what's best for Eiji. I want him to be able to live a happy life…even if it meant giving up on our love."

"What you did wasn't selfish at all."

"Inui," Fuji covered his face with his hands. "I never imaged that it would be so painful. I know that I have to let him go. I know I have to stay away from him, but I just want to run back to Eiji. I want to hold him and kiss him. I never wanted to let him go…but our future together was ruined. It's gone…"

Inui grabbed onto Fuji and held him close. "It'll be ok."

"I'll forget it all…"

_I had miscalculated things. Fuji was feeling the pressure of their love this whole time as well. Maybe he was just being strong for Eiji's sake. It was Fuji whole was very close to Tezuka after all. The two of them just need this time apart to realize things. If they're meant to be together, they will be…that's what my data says anything,_ Inui thought as he listened to Fuji mumble things that couldn't be understood.

"Fuji, give it some time. Everything happens for a reason," Inui helped the boy off the ground.

"Yeah. I'll just hope for the best," he wiped his tears away. "I'm sorry about this, Inui. I didn't mean t―"

"Don't worry about it. If you need anything, just call me. You and Eiji are my friends…we're supposed to be there for each other."

"Thank you," Fuji smiled and headed home.

"Though, maybe I'm the one to blame. I was the one who told you that it might be better if the two of you broke up," Inui shook his head and walked towards his own house.

**NOTE:**** I don't like writing these chapters. They make me dislike myself. I'm sorry Fuji and Eiji! They're the first pairing I liked, and I go and torture them. Also, I have this little plushie of Fuji. It sits on the upper level of my desk and he's all smiling with his legs crossed and everything. There's also this little box attached to him that says "for you" on a heart. He's watching me, and his smile is starting to look more sadistic. I'm slightly scared.**

**Anyways, this was chapter 14. One more chapter and I will hit the 15 chapter mark. I've received 50 reviews between the last 13 chapters. That makes me so grateful. I hope that even though there seems to be great sadness in this fic that you'll continue to read it. I also hope that I don't make anyone cry or anything. I kind of don't like the thought of making people cry anymore.**

**Oishi and Eiji have a short appearance in the beginning. It mainly consisted of Eiji telling Oishi to go away. Fuji shows that he doesn't like the fact that he broke up with Eiji. Inui also points out things that are all true. Fuji was closer to Tezuka than Eiji was. That could cause Fuji to be hurt by the things Tezuka does. Also, it was indeed Inui who gave Fuji the idea of breaking up with Eiji if he didn't learn to stop breaking down every time Tezuka said/did something. Were Inui and Tezuka planning this the whole time? Nah! I'm not that type of person. Inui is a good person. I like Inui.**

**Oh! I've been reading "New Prince of Tennis". I'm so annoyed though! I want to know what happens next, but there's only 7 chapters that I can read right now. I want more. I'm having withdrawals. Now, I've decided I'll watch the anime until more of the manga comes out. I'm pretty sure I've seen most of the musicals, but I can watch those over and over again. I guess I'll just have to stick with the anime and writing fanfics until more of the manga comes out. I'll just have to wait.**

**Ok, so, enough of my rambling! Thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. You'll continue until the very end, right? Thank you~!**


	15. Chapter 15

_Tuesday. Lunchtime._

Eiji sat at his desk and stared at his lunch. He didn't eat it; he didn't even open the lid. An unusual frown was on his face, and it seemed as if he was having issues keeping his eyes open. The lack of sleep due to crying and nightmares was catching up to him. It has already been a week since Fuji broke up with him. To Eiji, it was the longest week he had ever lived through.

"Got to pull myself together," Eiji mumbled to himself.

"Kikumaru," Tezuka walked into the classroom and over to the boy.

"Please, go away."

"I want to talk to you."

Eiji quickly looked up at him. "Don't you think you've caused me enough trouble, Tezuka?"

"Fine, take this," he tossed a folded up piece of paper onto Eiji's desk.

"What's this?"

"Read it when you get home. You're too emotional to read it here," Tezuka turned and left the room.

"What up with him acting all friendly?" Eiji put the note in his bag. "Maybe he'll apologize for being such a jerk…"

* * *

Oishi walked along side Inui down the hall. Inui held open a book and talked about what was written on the page. The other boy smiled and nodded.

"You know, I'm glad Eiji decided to come back to school. He really worried me for a little bit," Oishi stopped walking.

"It probably just took him a week to figure some things out. I'm sure things will start getting better from here," Inui closed the book. "Eiji isn't the only one having a hard time though. Fuji seems to be hurt by everything as well."

"That's because Fuji really did love Eiji more than anything else."

"Things will get better…"

Coming down the opposite direction was Tezuka. When he spotted the two boys, he made his way over to them.

"What do you want, Tezuka?" Oishi sternly said.

"Inui, I would like to talk with Oishi for a little bit before the next class. Is that ok?" Tezuka questioned.

"That's up to Oishi."

"Fine. I'll talk to you later, Inui," Oishi smiled at the taller boy as he left the two of them. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

"Did Fuji and Kikumaru break up?" Tezuka wondered.

"Yeah, but I don't see why you would care about something like that."

"I see."

"Is that all you have to say, Tezuka?" Oishi's whole body began to shake. "Why would you go and hurt Fuji like you did last week? Did you dislike their relationship that much? Do you hate them? Wouldn't it have been better to talk to them about these things? You've hurt a lot of people. This isn't like you. This isn't how you were raised to be, Tezuka!"

"…I know…" Tezuka placed his hand on Oishi's shoulder. "I shouldn't be blaming others for the mess I've made. I was the one who decided to risk my arm and continue to play tennis past my limit. You and Fuji tried to stop me. I didn't listen."

"Why did it take you this long to realize all of this? Why did you do all these stupid things to begin with?"

"Maybe I was trying to run away from everything I believed in. Maybe I thought that if I were to hang out with a different group of students I would be able to forget about how much it hurt to no longer be able to play tennis. I wanted to separate myself from the group who could still happily play."

"You're confusing me."

"I can't make things better between Fuji and Kikumaru. I wasn't the only one who was poking fun at their relationship…I just directed in more towards Kikumaru. I'm sure there were people teasing Fuji as well. Their relationship wouldn't have lasted either way. Even if I had left him alone, someone else would have started rumors and found ways to make Kikumaru cry. I don't really approve of these types of relationships, but I will leave them alone from now on."

"Why now? What made you decide all of this now?"

"I saw Fuji today. I didn't talk to him; I just looked into his classroom. Fuji is usually always smiling no matter what. It was different today. I could feel his pain. Knowing that I was the source that pushed him this far made me realize things. I'm sorry for the problems I've caused. I'll no longer bother any of you," Tezuka began to leave.

Oishi quickly reached out his arm and grabbed Tezuka's wrist. "Please, wait."

"I have nothing else to say, Oishi."

"I know, but let me talk for just a minute."

"Ok."

"You did a lot of hurtful things in these past few weeks. It'll be hard to forgive you, but I think they will. Don't go and disappear from our lives. If you stop making fun of people and being a bully, I'm sure Fuji and Eiji will want to be your friend again. I know I would like us to go back to being friends," tears rolled down Oishi's cheeks.

"Oishi, you're crying."

"I'm sorry…I've just really missed you. Everyone used to look up to you and respect you. Tezuka, promise me you won't go back to being a bully."

"I've figured things out, Oishi, so don't worry about it so much. I'll talk to Fuji tomorrow about things. I have to get to class," Tezuka continued down the hallway.

Oishi wiped his tears away. "Ah, Eiji's crying is rubbing off on me." He giggled at himself and went in the direction of his own class.

* * *

_Tuesday. After school._

Eiji made his way to his house. As he walked down the sidewalk, he dug through his bag. Pulling out the note from Tezuka, he unfolded it and began to read.

_Kikumaru,_

_These past few weeks, I wasn't acting like I should have. I should have never put your relationship or you down. I don't approve of the type of relationship you have with Fuji, but I had no right being so rude about things. You should realize some things though. If you couldn't take the things I said, you won't be able to make it outside of high school with this relationship. There are many people who do not like two males together. Maybe one day you will forgive me for the things I've done. I know that we can no longer go back to how we were in junior high. I was wrong when I hit Fuji last week. I was wrong with a lot of things I've done. It's not how I was raised. I'll talk to Fuji later. It'll be better if I talk to him in person. Again, Kikumaru, I'm sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I thought it would be best if you knew these things._

_-Tezuka_

Eiji stopped. "Tezuka, you big idiot. You were always the one to realize things right away. Out of all the things to take your time to see, why was it this?" He held the paper up against his chest. "I could have used your support…"

**NOTE:**** I actually managed to finish this chapter. Yay! This is chapter 15 I believe. I'm sorry that updates have been taking me awhile. Lately, I haven't been able to do much. I just haven't had the energy. Sorry. I will try to update like I said I would. I need to finish the first chapter for my TezukaXOishi fic! I have a sequel for my first Prince of Tennis fic to write. I need to go back and check the grammar in all my fics (Mainly this one and "One Month Left". I noticed that I used the wrong words in the last chapter of this fic. I need to stop writing so late at night.).**

**Anyways, this is one of the first times that Fuji wasn't in the chapter. He'll be there the next chapter because he's going to talk with Tezuka. Depending on how long that is, we might end up back at the beginning of the story. Epic (not)! I don't want to make this fic too much longer, but I don't want to rush it. I'm thinking that I'll probably try to make it no longer than 20 chapters total…so five more chapters. That's the plan anyways. Of course, if I finish this, I have to come up with another story idea. I want to always have at least one FujiXEiji fic that I'm working on at all times (along with one FujiXRyoma fic). I'm going to start running out of story ideas, but that's ok. I have until…probably spring to continue to write as much as I feel like it (I'm either starting school in the fall or spring. I'm not sure yet. Once I start college, I'll probably have less time to work on my fics, but I will never stop writing them!). Crazy, crazy!**

**I need to stop writing though. I have to get some sleep…sleep…yes…ok! Enough of my rambling. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it's nothing amazing (I love Tezuka and Oishi…so I like writing scenes for them. I just don't like writing dialogue for Tezuka. His personality is not easy for me to write for.). Yes, so, I'll leave now. I'm going to come up with random fics and such (I want to write at least one fic for all my favorite couples…even though they're random. Seriously, they're random! Fuji and Oshitari…that's one of the pairings I like along with Kaidou and Eiji. No AtobeXTezuka though. That pairing just confuses me. I don't know who would be the…yeah…I think you know what I'm talking about.).**

**Thank you for all the support. I will try to update more often. I will also try to write early in the day so my writing isn't complete trash (I think I'm losing my confidence in my writing skills…). I hope you'll continue to read (even if you hate my fics with a passion) ~!**


	16. Chapter 16

_Wednesday. Lunchtime._

"What should I do?" Eiji mumbled as he ate his lunch. "Should I believe in what he says? I mean…it seems kind of sincere."

Oishi held onto the note from Tezuka. A soft smile formed on his face. "Eiji, I don't think Tezuka will do you harm anymore."

"You sure?"

"Trust me."

"Ok…"

"I talked with him yesterday. He was just going to cut off everything between us after he apologized…but I told him he shouldn't. I know that it's going to be hard for you and Fuji to forgive him. I want to be friends with Tezuka again. I miss back in junior high when we were captain and co-captain. If I could, I would have continued to stay by his side…but he decided to push us all away. I want to put the past behind us and continue down a new road with Tezuka."

Eiji's eyes widened. "Wait! Oishi, Oishi! Does this mean you love Tezuka?"

"Yes."

"Wah! Unrequited love…how sad."

"I didn't mean like that, Eiji. Tezuka was like a brother to me. It was really painful when he broke away from us."

"I'll forgive him…and then I'll become stronger because of all of this," Eiji closed his eyes. "Maybe Fuji will go out with me again…"

* * *

Fuji sat at his desk. He slowly nibbled at his lunch as he wrote in a notebook. When he heard the door to the classroom open, he turned to see who was coming in. Right as he saw Tezuka, he collected his things and stood up.

"Fuji," Tezuka reached the boy.

"I do not want to talk to you," he headed for the door. "Everything from the past…junior high…the tennis team…Nationals…even Eiji…I will forget it all."

"Lets talk."

"I have nothing to say to you."

Tezuka looked away. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Do you think I can just forgive you with that simple apology? Do you even know what you've done?"

"I don't expect you to forgive me. In the past we were a team…we were friends. I was the one who made a mistake. I was the one who didn't listen. The things I've done to Kikumaru and you are unforgivable. The truth is, I really don't like the type of relationship you are in. I cannot change who you love though. Kikumaru would have still had people making fun of him just like people were bugging you. He's naïve and doesn't know how to ignore the things others say. Fuji, I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused. It wasn't like me…it wasn't how I was raised. I know I figured everything out too late, but I just wanted you to know that," Tezuka turned to leave.

"Wait," Fuji walked to his desk. He pulled out a tennis racket from his bag. "Take this, Tezuka."

"I have no use for a racket anymore."

"You're right, I can't forgive you for what you've done…not yet. This was the last racket you played with. Take it and hold on to it."

Tezuka took the racket from the shorter boy. "…Fuji…"

"Don't forget, Tezuka, you have a right arm that works perfectly fine," Fuji smiled as the bell rang. "One day…we should be friends again…"

Before Tezuka could say anything, Fuji had left the room.

* * *

_Wednesday. After school. Eiji's house._

"I have to be able to handle the things that people say," Eiji mumbled to himself. "I have to…for Fuji…because I love him…" He laid his head down on his pillow. "I can't just forget him…I don't want to. I want to be with Fuji…" Tears streamed down Eiji's cheeks. "I don't want to cry unless you're wrapping me in your arms. You liar…you broke your promise…"

**NOTE:**** So short…I know. It took me a long time to update too. I've been busy with making a Prince of Tennis website along with helping my sister watch three kids. I've been so tired lately that I haven't felt like writing. Everyone should know what the next chapter is though…present day…the beginning of the fic. It only took about 16 chapter…a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. I'm wanting to finish this fic with 20 chapters total. I don't want to rush things though, so we'll just have to see how things go. Also, I don't have any FujiXEiji fic ideas for after I finish this fic. I mean, I have the first PoT fic I've ever started that's a FujiXEiji fic, but it's just going to be one chapter long...I just have to finish it. I have to come up with some sort of idea. Seriously, I have another FujiXRyoma fic for after "One Month Left" is finish...I have an OshitariXEiji fic, an EijiXKaidou (KaidouXEiji) fic, a random fic that will be about Tezuka, Inui, Oshitari, and Yagyuu, and the a sequel to a EijiXRyoma fic. I don't have another idea for a long fic for FujiXEiji. I will come up with something though. I don't know what...but I will think of something!  
**

**Anyways, did you like this chapter? Fuji came back after being absent for a chapter. He had a nice little talk with Tezuka. Something about a racket and right hand. Who knows what that could possibly mean? Eiji cried in this chapter. I think that was the first time he cried in awhile (maybe a chapter…possibly two…).**

**Sorry about this chapter being short. The next chapter will be longer…I promise!**

**Thank you so much for reading. I hope you're enjoying what's happened so far. Please continue to support me. Thank you~! **


	17. Chapter 17

_Present day…_

Eiji sat on his bed flipping through his text book. On a piece of paper, he scribbled down answers to the homework. He let out a sigh as the pencil slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor.

"It's useless…" Eiji mumbled as he picked up the pencil. "I'll take a walk."

* * *

The boy slowly walked down the sidewalk. He didn't pay attention to where he way going, but his feet seemed to follow a path that seemed rather familiar. Soon, he found himself by Fuji's house.

"I unconsciously walked here," he frowned. "I'm not acting like myself."

He made his way to the door. Eiji reached his hand up to it. Quickly, he pulled away. He couldn't get himself to knock. He was too nervous.

_I have to,_ he thought.

Again, he reached up, but, this time, he was able to hit his hand against the door.

"Hello?" the door began to open. Peering out was a boy of the same age. He looked at the person standing in front of him with his glossy, blue eyes. "…Eiji…"

"I couldn't do it…I couldn't just forget about you!" Eiji's voice cracked as tears streamed down his cheeks. "I love you too much, Fuji."

"Eiji," Fuji reached his right arm out and wiped the boy's tears away. "Give it time. I'm sure you'll be able to forget about me."

"Don't you understand, Fuji? I love you. I can't just forget about the time we shared together. You promised! You promised to always be there for me."

"I know…"

"Liar!" Eiji shrieked. He began to lightly hit his fists against Fuji's chest as more tears form. "Liar…I hate you…liar!"

"Stop," Fuji pulled him closer and brushed his lips against his. "I don't want to see you crying anymore."

"But―"

"This is the last time, Eiji. I think it's best that we are no longer together. The pressure from other students…the teasing…it was getting to you. It was hurting you. If I see you hurting from our love, then I will not give it another. Understand?"

Eiji wrapped his arms around the small frame of Fuji's. "Just…continue to love me and I'll be fine…"

"How can you say that when you've been hurt so badly by me?"

"Because it hurt worse when I wasn't with you."

"…Eiji…"

"I think that if I can continue to hold onto Fuji like this…I can continue to smile. If Fuji is there for me, it'll be ok if I cry every now and then," his grip grew tighter. "Please, Fuji, please hold onto me and never let me go. Make the promise again and don't take it back. I'll become stronger. Tell me it will be ok."

Fuji hesitated but pulled his arms around Eiji. "I don't want you to be hurt by our relationship."

"…it'll be ok…"

"But―"

"Tell me it'll be ok!"

Staring up into the sky that was starting to change into a purple color, Fuji bit his lower lip. "This is the last time."

"Fuji…please."

"I was hurting too. Every time I saw the person most precious to me crying…my heart ached. I couldn't just hold onto your hand and say things would be ok in the end. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get you to believe in our love. You always ended up being hurt by the words from other people. I wondered how many nights you went to bed crying…how many times I didn't get to wipe away your tears. Eiji, I want you to be happy. I would do anything to see your smile…to see you like you were on the day I first asked you out. This isn't the Eiji I know. The Eiji I know was cheerful. The pressure of our love turned you into a depressed creature…someone I can hardly recognize."

"I'm sorry, Fuji," Eiji pulled away. "I guess…if you feel that way…it's best if we go our separate ways. It hurts because I love you…and…I won't ever get the chance to ask you if it's ok to call you Syusuke."

Fuji's eyes widened and a light red shade covered his cheeks. "Eiji…you…"

"It was silly of me to think we had a future together. Love hurts…maybe I should have rejected you that day one month ago."

"Lets start over."

"What do you mean?"

Fuji pressed his lips against Eiji's. As he pulled away, he softly whispered, "Will you go out with me?"

"Fuji," a smile grew on Eiji's face. "I think we should be more than friends."

"We can try that out…see how we like it."

"I'll be stronger this time."

"If you are, then I won't break my promise," Fuji brushed his hand against Eiji's cheek. "One more chance. If you break in a way that I cannot fix…then we'll have to part ways…permanently."

Eiji nodded. "I won't. As long as I have Fuji, I'll be ok this time around."

"We'll see, Eiji. It's getting late. I'll come over tomorrow. Have a good night."

"I'll prove to you, Fuji, that as long as you love me, I'll be fine," Eiji turned around and headed down the street.

"Call me Syusuke!" Fuji yelled.

"Alright!" he giggled and ran towards his house.

Fuji let out a sigh and smiled. "Please let Eiji be ok…because if I see him break down again…I don't think I'll be able to be the strong one any longer."

**NOTE:**** It's been awhile since I updated. I've been pretty busy with some other things. I'm sorry. Also, I didn't even update the fic that should have been updated before. I'm so behind on my fics.**

**Anyways, you probably recognized some of this chapter from the first chapter. Yep! We're back to present day. There's only one or two more chapters until this fic is finished.**

**Fuji and Eiji are currently back together. Though, there are a few last things that need to be done before this fic can be finished. What's going to happen with Tezuka? What about Oishi and Inui? Will there be a special appearance? Anything can really happen between now and the final chapter.**

**Well, seeming that this fic is soon going to end, I will be throwing out a new fic. Currently I don't have any plans for a FujiXEiji fic, so I will be putting up my fic "No! No! Megane's". This fic will be the first time you'll see characters like Oshitari and Yagyuu in one of my fics. It will also have special appearances by just about anyone that has glasses in the Prince of Tennis. It'll also be one of my first fics for PoT to not have a couple in it. Though, I might use romance for humor (but it won't be anything major). I hope people will enjoy it once the first chapter is finished.**

**Ok! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Lets hope that I can end this in a way that people will like. Thank you for continuing to read this fic. Just a little more and it'll be finished. Please hang on until the ending comes. Thank you~!**


	18. Chapter 18

_The next day…_

Fuji made his way from his house over to Eiji's. The smile that always sat on his face was there as usual. As he stopped at the door, he knocked. Eiji opened the door and quickly embraced the other boy.

"Syusuke~!"

"Are you ready to go out for a little bit?" Fuji questioned.

"Mhm! What are we doing today?" Eiji stared at the bag Fuji was carrying.

"I thought we could do something we haven't in awhile."

"Really? What? What?"

"It's in the bag," Fuji laughed as he grabbed Eiji's hand. "Just come with me."

"In the bag?" Eiji repeated as he was dragged away.

* * *

Fuji pulled Eiji all the way to a tennis court that they used many times before. It was the same court that Fuji and Oishi tried to stop Tezuka from using his arm too much. It was the last place where Fuji and Eiji had played tennis together.

"Tennis?" Eiji titled his head to the side. "We're going to play tennis?"

"I thought it would be a nice twist from the usual date," Fuji walked up to the court and saw two figures. "Hmm?"

"It seems like you're getting used to using your right arm," one figure said.

"Oishi!" Eiji quickly ran up to the boy.

"Huh?" Oishi turned to see Eiji. This made the tennis ball fly past him.

"I think that would make it my win," the second figure walked up to the net. He wore a light purple polo shirt.

"Tezuka!" Eiji looked over at him. "I thought you had hurt your arm and aren't able to play tennis."

"I was given good advice."

"I'm glad you decided to listen to me, Tezuka. You look better with a racket then acting like a bully," Fuji placed his hand on Eiji's shoulder. "Eiji and I were going to play a match or two. I guess it could wait until you're done."

"Tezuka, why don't we play a match against them?" Oishi suggested.

"Golden Pair?" Eiji grabbed his arm.

"I was thinking you and Fuji again Tezuka and me."

"Are you ok with that, Tezuka?" Fuji pulled out two rackets from his bag. "I won't go easy on you after what you did to Eiji."

"I won't expect you to, Fuji," Tezuka's grip on his racket became tighter.

Eiji fell to his knees and began to laugh so much that tears formed. "Thank you."

"Eiji!" Fuji sat next to him. "What's going on?"

"I'm so happy that we're all here like this. I love you, Syusuke…and I like Oishi. Tezuka…thank you. I understand now. I think that as long as I can stay by Syusuke's side, I'll be able to laugh like this. People will say things that I don't like, but I now know that I need to just let people say those things. I shouldn't care. I have Syusuke…I have my friends. It doesn't matter what anyone else says," Eiji pulled himself off the ground and hugged both Tezuka and Oishi. "Lets stay friends forever. No more silly fights."

"Of course, Eiji," Oishi patted the boy on the back. "Remember what you said, we're the golden friends."

"Tezuka?"

"Kikumaru…how can you forgive me so easily?" Tezuka got out of Eiji's embrace.

"Because, Tezuka, we're friends."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive~!" he giggled and leaned back onto Fuji. "Right, Syusuke?"

"If Tezuka's willing to be our friend again, I am more than happy to call him so," Fuji nodded.

"Tennis time!" Eiji ran to the other side of the court and stood in position. "Bring it on Oishi and Tezuka!"

* * *

The day continued on as they played their match. Fuji and Eiji had won, but they decided it was probably because Tezuka hadn't played in so long. After playing, Fuji snapped a few pictures of Oishi and Tezuka. Eiji demanded they took a few pictures of him with Fuji as well. After a long day, Fuji and Eiji made their way back to Eiji's house to drop him off.

* * *

"Syusuke," Eiji wrapped his arms around the slightly taller boy. "You know, I never noticed that you're taller than me."

"I was shorter than back in junior high. I grew throughout the first year of high school," Fuji explained.

"I feel like time has passed so quickly since we began high school. I feel like it was just last year that Ochibi had won us the victory at Nationals. Then he left to go back to America, Tezuka ruined his shoulder, and our team slowly fell apart."

"Eiji, but we're here together now. We don't talk to everyone like we used to only because they went to different high schools. Don't worry so much about the past. Just think about the future that's ahead."

"A future with you?"

"Yes, a future with us together."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes, I love you."

"Syusuke, thank you for giving me a second chance. I'm very lucky to have someone like you."

"And to think when I first asked you out you thought it was a joke."

"I wasn't expecting you to just kiss me like that, but I'm happy you did. Even though we've been through a lot in this past month, I think I did a little growing in the process."

"Eiji, I think we both did a little growing up."

"Would you kiss me one last time before I go inside?"

"Of course," Fuji placed his hand underneath Eiji's chin and pressed their lips together.

"Forever," Eiji whispered as they pulled away. "Love me forever."

"I will. I won't let another person harm you. Only you."

"Promise."

"I promise, Eiji. I won't ever leave you again."

"I believe you," Eiji smiled as he went inside. The door clicked closed behind him.

"I love you…" Fuji turned away from the house and left for his own.

* * *

One playful kiss was all it took to spark their relationship. They had a bond that they thought no one would break. If Eiji would have only let Fuji keep their love a secret, maybe all of the teasing would have never happened. Though, would they have been happy hiding their relationship from the rest of the world? If they had hid everything, Eiji would have still been hurt once out of high school from those outside. If that would have happened, it's unknown if their relationship would have lasted. One kiss turned a friendship into love. The pressure of their love made them realize just how fragile a relationship could be. Though, in the end, they final had their happy ending…

**NOTE:**** We're finished! That was the last chapter of "The Pressure of Our Love". You all knew it was going to be a happy ending. It took me four months and a day to complete this fic. Not bad, not bad.**

**I don't think I mentioned this yet, but I will have another FujiXEiji fic coming out soon. It will be called "Frozen Fingers". Details can be found on my profile, so on, so on. It's going to be another romance with my random twists and turns. Hopefully everyone will enjoy it (I plan on making that once my best FujiXEiji fic yet).**

**Anyways, this was the end. I feel happy that I could finally end things in a happy way. Eiji did cry…but it was because he was laughing. I didn't bring Inui into the last chapter. I didn't feel the need to. I wanted to end things with Tezuka and Oishi seen as being friends and Fuji and Eiji agreeing to be Tezuka's friend again. I thought that was a good way to end things. That last paragraph was probably what took the most effort. You just have to have the perfect ending paragraph. I find it hard to write the last paragraph. I hope I did a good job.**

**There won't be any sequels to this. I don't feel as if it needs one. Also, I just don't like to make sequels for my long fics like this. I think this ended it a spot that doesn't make it need a sequel.**

**Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has read this fic from the beginning. I wrote this story in a different way then I'm used to. I don't generally start things in the middle of everything, go to the past, and then work my way back to the beginning. It was an interesting thing to do. I hope everyone liked it. Thank you so much for reading. If you like the Dream Pair, I hope you'll check out "Frozen Fingers" when I get the first chapter out. Thank you~!**


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